Takekurabe Castle
Takekurabejō is a yamajiro (mountaintop castle) ruin located on the border between Kashiwabara Township, Maibara Municipality, in Shiga Prefecture, and Imasu Township, Sekiǵahara Municipality, in Fuwa District, Gifu Prefecture. Historically it straddled the border between the provinces of Ōmi and M
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History
Takekurabejō was constructed in 1570 by Azai Nagamasa. In 1570, Oda Nobunaga attempted to invade Echizen, held by Asakura Yoshikage, but Nagamasa's betrayal meant that he had to abandoned his plans and deal with the Azai. Nobunaga held Mino Province, which bordered Ōmi Province, held by Nagamasa. Takekurabejō was built to protect Ōmi against an invasion by Oda Nobunaga. The fort overlooked the Nakasendō, an important trade route.
There is a theory that forces from Echizen even came down to aid in the construction of the castle, accounting for the two distinct bailey complexes which acted as dual sentinels. Azai Nagamasa then installed Hori Hidemura and Higuchi Naofusa as garrison commanders. Nagamasa was based at Odanijō, making Takekurabejō a branch castle of that fortress. In turn, Takekurabejō had a satellite fortification called Sugawayama-toride nearby on the same mountain. Takekurabejō fell without a fight to Oda forces when its defenders secretly agreed to surrender. Azai Nagamasa would commit seppuku at Odani in 1573.
Field Notes
Takekurabejō is a yamajiro (mountaintop castle) ruin located on the border between Kashiwabara Township, Maibara Municipality, in Shiga Prefecture, and Imasu Township, Sekiǵahara Municipality, in Fuwa District, Gifu Prefecture. Historically it straddled the border between the provinces of Ōmi and Mino. The castle is sometimes referred to as Noseyamajō when paired with Sugawayama-toride on the same mountain.
Takekurabejō is a fort in two halves, with eastern and western baileys divided by a short stretch of ridge. The western bailey is the smaller of the two, but the dorui (earthen ramparts) around it are easier to appreciate, and the eastern bailey is more overgrown. The castle is an example of a type of castle called ichijō-bekkaku, wherein two castles act as one in a sort of defensive orbit; although, given Takekurabejō's smaller scale, it may be better understood in this instance as twin baileys acting as a double main bailey.
Ruins of fortifications at Takekurabejō feature dorui, kuruwa (baileys) and tatebori (climbing trenches). Both of its twin baileys have narrow sub-baileys beneath them, and gaps in the ramparts where gates stood. Only the western bailey has tatebori around it. It has been suggested that two independent groups of builders built each bailey without a plan to form a cohesive core for the castle.
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| Castle Profile | |
|---|---|
| English Name | Takekurabe Castle |
| Japanese Name | 長比城 |
| Alternate Names | Noseyamajō (野瀬山城) |
| Founder | Azai Nagamasa |
| Year Founded | 1570 |
| Castle Type | Mountaintop |
| Castle Condition | Ruins only |
| Historical Period | Pre Edo Period |
| Artifacts | Kuruwa, Dorui, Tatebori, &c. |
| Features | trenches |
| Visitor Information | |
| Access | Kashiwabara Station on the Tōkaidō Main Line; 15 minute walk to hiking trail from south |
| Hours | 24/7 free; mountain |
| Time Required | 50 minutes |
| URL | Castle Website |
| Location | Maibara, Shiga Prefecture |
| Coordinates | 35.3522, 136.41352 |
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| Admin | |
| Added to Jcastle | 2024 |
| Contributor | ART |
| Admin Year Visited | Viewer Contributed |
| Friends of JCastle | |
| Jōkaku Hōrōki | |
| Kojōdan | |
| Jōshi Meguri Bibōroku | |
| Oshiro Tabi Nikki | |
| Yogo | |
